At the recent Made Smarter 4.0 Impact Showcase, manufacturing businesses shared their stories of digital transformation and the benefits of working with Made Smarter.
Among the businesses that spoke at the event were IoT Horizon, an Internet of Things (IoT) Solutions provider, and Qualkem, a manufacturer of eco-friendly domestic cleaning products.
Qualkem approached Made Smarter for help when they decided to invest in a fully automated production line.
Mark Bayley-Smyth, Non-executive director of Qualkem said "I think the biggest impact for me, really was that Made Smarter's intervention was bigger than just that initial, let's get this new machine and let's start this new production run. We set a very, very tough 25% year-on-year sales increase on the back of that machine. Which we've hit, but we've done more."
Deyrick Allen, Managing Director of IoT Horizons, also shared his praise of Made Smarter, saying "What I like about the Made Smarter programme is they don't just throw money at you. They invest in your people. And in our industry, people, are the single biggest problem when adopting digital technology."
Qualkem and IoT Horizons are just two of the over 2,500 North West businesses that have engaged with Made Smarter since the pilot programme.
So far Made Smarter North West has delivered 334 technology projects in the North West, which are forecast to create 1,550 jobs, upskill 2,772 existing roles, and increase North West GVA by £242m.
If you are a manufacturing business interested in how Made Smarter can support your business to adopt digital technology through grant funding and leadership skills training, get in touch with the Made Smarter team today.